Venezuelan migrants worldwide erupted in jubilation on Saturday after the U.S.-led apprehension of President Nicolas Maduro, whose administration oversaw one of the largest migration waves in recent history.
In Chile’s capital, chants celebrating Maduro’s capture echoed through the streets as Venezuelan expatriates gathered to express their happiness.
“We are liberated. We are all elated that the dictatorship has crumbled, and we now have a liberated country,” stated Khaty Yanez, a Venezuelan residing in Chile for the past seven years.
“My happiness knows no bounds,” remarked her compatriot Jose Gregorio. “After numerous years, struggles, and hard work, today marks the day of freedom.”
Since 2014, approximately 7.7 million Venezuelans, constituting 20% of the population, have left the nation due to food insecurity and the pursuit of better opportunities abroad, as per the U.N. International Organization for Migration.
Colombia, Venezuela’s neighbor, has welcomed the largest share of the diaspora, with around 2.8 million Venezuelans, followed by 1.7 million in Peru, according to the R4V platform, a consortium of regional NGOs aiding migrants and refugees from Venezuela established by the U.N. migration agency.
In Lima, the capital of Peru, scores of Venezuelans gathered, many draped in their national flag, to commemorate Maduro’s capture.
Venezuelan migrant Milagros Ortega, whose parents remain in Venezuela, expressed her desire to return.
“The knowledge that my father witnessed the downfall of Nicolas Maduro is profoundly emotional. I long to see his reaction,” she expressed.
Peruvian President Jose Jeri affirmed that his government would facilitate the immediate return of Venezuelans, irrespective of their immigration status.
For an extended period, the U.S. provided sanctuary for Venezuelans, but during President Donald Trump’s second term, many were stigmatized and compelled to seek asylum in other nations.